Apparatus for handling cartridge shell plates of photographic film cartridges

Abstract: A cartridge shell plate stacking apparatus (2) comprises a plurality of arms (7) circulating along an annular cam rail (17). Each arm (7) has a magnet (15) in its distal end (7a). The cam rail (17) lowers the distal end (7a) of the arm (7) in a pickup station (55) to cause the magnet (15) to attract one of cartridge shell plates (4) successively conveyed on a bucket conveyer (8) and hold the shell plate (4) in the horizontal state with plush ribbons (9a,9b) stuck on the upside surfaces. The cam rail (17) also lowers the distal end (7a) of the arm (7) in a separating station (50) having a cut-out (54) formed in the top edge of a side wall (52b). Although the distal end (7a) passes through the cut-out (54), the cartridge shell p4late (4) cannot pass and strikes against the side wall (52b), thereby dropping into a shoot (50).

Description: The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling cartridge shell plates of photographic film cartridges before assembling into the photographic film cartridges of the type as described in the preamble of claim 1. An apparatus of this type is disclosed in JP-A-03-290657. ISO 135-type photographic film cartridges are one of the most popular types of photographic film cartridges today. The 135-type film cartridge is constituted of a resin spool, a 35mm filmstrip coiled around the spool, and a metal housing in which the spool and the filmstrip are contained. The housing is constituted of a cartridge shell plate of a shape of a cylindrical tube and a pair of caps fitted on the ends of the tube. Also a pair of light-trapping pieces or plush ribbons are stuck on the shell plate so as to prevent entrance of light through a film passage mouth of the housing which is formed by the ends of the shell plate that extend in the axial direction of the tube. To produce such a film cartridge, the shell plate of the housing are blanked out of a metal plate and are bent into an U-shape. The plush ribbons are stuck onto the inside surface of the U-shaped blank or shell plate. Then, the shell plate is rounded into the cylindrical tube, into which the film roll wounded on the spool is inserted. Thereafter, the caps are attached to the tube to complete the assembly of the film cartridge. Because there is a difference in speed between the plush sticking process and the cartridge assembly process, the shell plates to which the plush ribbons are stuck are temporarily stacked on a tray or the like. An automatic photographic film cartridge assembling apparatus having an automatic stacking system for the U-shaped shell plates is disclosed in JP-A-3-290654 and the above-defined JP-A-3-290657. In the known shell plate stacking system, the cartridge shell plate is carried in the horizontal state with the plush ribbons stuck on the upside surface thereof, and is elected by a magnet pulley. Then the cartridge shell plate is carried in the standing attitude on a belt conveyer having magnets disposed in the lower portion thereof. A stopper is disposed in a course of the belt conveyer so as to dam up the cartridge shell plates and gather the same into a pile. When a predetermined amount cartridge shell plates are thus accumulated, a robot hand removes the pile of the cartridge shell plates from the belt conveyer. However, because the above-described known apparatus carries the cartridge shell plates in the standing attitude, the cartridge shell plates are unstable and may often fall over on the belt conveyer. If any cartridge shell plate falls over, it is necessary to stop the belt conveyer and put the cartridge shell plate in order. Besides that, because the robot hand does not pick up the cartridge shell plates from the belt conveyer until the pile of the cartridge shell plates reaches the predetermined amount, if no further cartridge shell plate is fed to the belt conveyer for somewhat reasons, for example, on changing the type or design of film cartridge, the cartridge shell plates remaining on the belt conveyer should be manually transferred to the tray. Therefore, the efficiency of operation is unsatisfactory. Moreover, because successive transportation of the cartridge shell plates in the standing attitude does not permit inspection of the outer surfaces of the cartridge shell plates, it is impossible to prevent piling a cartridge shell plate having a defective outer surface together with non-defective cartridge shell plates. In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a cartridge shell plate stacking apparatus which can reliably and efficiently convey the cartridge shell plates to store the same before assembled into photographic film cartridges. To achieve the above and other object, the present invention, according to claim 1, provides a plurality of arms each having an attraction member for holding a cartridge shell plate onto the arm in the horizontal state with plush ribbons stuck on the upside surface of the cartridge shell plate. The arms are driven by an arm drive device to circulate through first and second sections. The arm drive device runs the arms at the same speed in the first section as the conveying speed of the cartridge shell plate on a conveyer. A cam member is provided for transiently lowering the arms in the first and second sections. The cartridge shell plate conveyed on the conveyer is picked up by the attraction member of the arm in the first section. A shoot is disposed in association with the second section, for detaching the cartridge shell plate from the attraction member. According to this construction, the shell plates are stably conveyed and separated from the conveyer. According to a preferred embodiment, the attraction member is a magnet mounted in a distal end of the arm such that the magnet does not contact the cartridge shell plate, and the cam is a cam rail. A pulley coupled to the arm rolls along the cam rail when the arm is moved by the arm drive device. The cam rail includes a bypass rail section for bypassing the second section and a change-over rail section movable to connect either to the second section or to the bypass rail section. Detachment of the cartridge shell plate from the magnet is avoided when the pulley rolls along the bypass rail section. This construction makes it easy to sort the cartridge shell plates according to the type of the photographic film cartridge or depending on whether the cartridge shell plate is defective or not. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cartridge shell plate handling apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of essential parts of the cartridge shell plate handling apparatus shown in Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plane view of the cam rail of the spider arm conveyer of the cartridge shell plate handling apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Figure 4 is a side view of the cam rail of Fig. 3, partly in section. Referring to Fig. 1, a cartridge shell plate handling apparatus 49 is constituted of a spider arm conveyer 3 for handling cartridge shell plates 4. The conveyer 3 is constituted of a conveyer body 6 having an oval periphery and a plurality of L-shaped arms 7 cyclically moving around the periphery of the conveyer body 6. A drive mechanism for rotating the arms 7 is mounted in the conveyer body 6, although the arm drive mechanism is not shown in Fig. 1 for clarity. The periphery of the conveyer body 6 provides first and second straight track sections 6a and 6b and first and second curves 6c and 6d connecting the straight track sections 6a and 6b to each other. A bucket conveyer 8 is disposed beside the second straight track section 6b in parallel therewith. The bucket conveyer 8 carries the cartridge shell plates 4 in the horizontal state with light-trapping plush ribbons 9a and 9b stuck on the upside surface so that the plush ribbons 9a and 9b may not rub against the bucket conveyer 8. A shoot 50 for separating the cartridge shell plates 4 from arms 7 of the spider arm conveyer together with the bucket conveyer 8 is disposed on the same side of the arm conveyor 3. The bucket conveyer 8 is coupled to an arm drive mechanism (not shown) of the spider arm conveyer 3 through a gear train (not shown) so as to drive the arms 7 synchronously with the bucket conveyer 8. The arm drive mechanism rotates a chain to which the base portions of the arms 7 are linked at constant intervals. Thereby, the arms 7 move at the same speed as the bucket conveyer 8 around the periphery of the conveyer body 6 in the clockwise direction in Fig. 1. Accordingly, the spacing between the distal ends 7a of the adjacent arms 7 is small in the straight track sections 6a and 6b, whereas the spacing is increased when the arms 7 running around the curves 6c and 6d. One of the cartridge shell plates 4 successively fed by the bucket conveyer 8 is picked up by one of the arms 7 in the straight track section. As shown in Fig. 2, a magnet 15 is provided in the distal end 7a of the arm 7 for picking up the cartridge shell plate 4 which is made of iron. The magnet 15 is recessed by a distances, e.g., about 0.05 mm to 1 mm, from the bottom surface of the distal end so as not to directly contact the cartridge shell plate 4. A main pulley 16 is rotatably mounted to the arm 7, and is also movable in the axial direction of the main pulley 16. The main pulley 16 rolls along a rail 17 having cam grooves and extending around the periphery of the conveyer body 16. The cam groove of the rail 17 is made deeper at a pickup station 55 disposed at the beginning of the second straight track section 6b, so that the arm 7 is transiently lowered while passing the pick-up station 55. Also at the separating station which is disposed in association with the shoot 50, the rail 17 is constructed as is shown in Fig. 3, wherein a double-track portion 21 having a pair of cam grooves 21a and 21b is interposed between single-track portions 20 having a single cam groove 20a each. A change-over rail portion 22 having a single groove 22a is provided between the trailing end of the single-track portion 20 and the leading end of the double-track portion 21 with respect to the moving direction indicated by an arrow A in Fig. 3. As indicated by an arrow B, the change-over rail portion 22 may swing to connect the single cam groove 20a to either one of the cam grooves 21a and 21b of the double-track portion 21. The cam grooves 21a and 21b have different depths as is shown in Fig. 4. Therefore, when the pulley 16 rolls along the cam groove 21a, as is shown by phantom lines in Fig. 4, the arm 7 moves on a lower course compared with the case where the pulley 16 rolls along the cam groove 21b, as is shown by solid lines. Because the main pulley 16 is axially movable, the main pulley 16 may go through either of the grooves 21a and 21b while maintaining the arm 7 immovable in the direction transverse to the moving direction. In order to reduce the load on the change-over rail portion 22, that is, the weight of the arm 7 applied on the change-over rail portion 22 when the main pulley 16 goes through it, a subsidiary pulley 23 rolling on a cam follower rail 24 is mounted in a lower portion of the arm 7 than the main pulley 6, as is shown in Fig. 2. Otherwise, the load on the change-over rail portion 22 would decrease the change-over speed and cause a change-over error. The bottom surface of the upper end of the shoot 50 is oriented horizontal, and a belt conveyer 51 is incorporated in the bottom surface. The shoot 50 has a pair of guide fences 52a and 52b for preventing the cartridge shell plate 4 from dropping aside the shoot 50. The one guide fence 52a which is disposed in an upper portion in the arm rotating direction, has a cut-out 53 in the upper end thereof that permits passage of the distal end 7a of the arm 7 with the cartridge shell plate 4 attached thereto. The other guide fence 52b which is disposed in a lower position in the arm rotating direction, also has a cut-out 54 in the upper end thereof. But the cut-out 54 permits passage of the distal end 7a alone. The cam rail 17 is formed such that the arms 7 having pulleys 16 moving on the rail 17 are transiently lowered when passing through a pick-up station 55 which is disposed at the beginning of a straight track section of a circulating course of the arms 7. Since the trailing end of the bucket conveyer 8 is disposed below the pick-up station, the cartridge shell plate 4 on the trailing end of the bucket conveyer 8 is attracted to a magnet 15 mounted in the distal end 7a of the arm 7. When the arm 7 holding the cartridge shell plate 4 reaches the shoot 50, the distal end 7a passes through the cut-out 54, but the cartridge shell plate 4 strikes against the guide fence 52b to be left on the short belt conveyer 51. Thereafter, the cartridge shell plate 4 is conveyed on the shoot belt conveyer 51 to slide down along the shoot 50. While the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings, the present invention is not to be limited to the above-described embodiment, but on the contrary, various modifications may be possible without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: An apparatus for handling U-shaped cartridge shell plates (4) of photographic film cartridges after light-trapping plush ribbons (9a, 9b) are stuck on said cartridge shell plates before said cartridge shell plates are assembled into said photographic film cartridges, characterised by a plurality of arms (7) each having an attraction member (15) for attaching one of said cartridge shell plates (4) onto said arm in a horizontal state with plush ribbons (9a, 9b) stuck on the upside surface of said cartridge shell plate, said arms (7) being driven to circulate around a track having at least a pick-up station (55) and at least a shoot (50), a conveyor (8) for successively conveying said cartridge shell plates in said horizontal state toward said pick-up station under the path of said arms (7), said conveyer moving at the same speed in the same direction as said arms in said pick-up station (55), a separation member (52b) associated with said shoot (50), for detaching said cartridge shell plate from said attraction member, and a cam member (17) coupled to said arms (7) for transiently lowering the position of said arms in said pick-up station (55) and said shoot (50), so as to permit said attraction member (15) to pick up said cartridge shell plate in said pick-up station and to permit said separation member (52b) to detach said cartridge shell plate from said attraction member in said shoot (50). An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said cartridge shell plates (4) are made of iron, and said attraction member is a magnet (15) mounted in a distal end (7a) of said arm (7), said arms extending radially relative to said track. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said magnet (15) is recessed by a distance from a bottom surface of the distal end (7a) of said arm (7), so as to not contact said cartridge shell plates (4). An apparatus as recited in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said cam member is an annular cam rail (17) extending along said track, and said arms (7) each has a pulley (16) which rolls along said cam rail (17) when said arms are driven to circulate, said cam rail having lowered rail portions (21a) in correspondence with said pick-up station and said shoot (50). An apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said cam rail (17) includes a bypass rail portion (21b) for bypassing one of said lowered rail portions (21a), and a change-over rail portion (22) movable to be connected either to said bypass rail portion or to said one lowered rail portion, wherein detachment of said cartridge shell plate (4) is avoided when said pulley (16) rolls along said bypass rail portion. An apparatus as recited in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said track is an oval track consisting of at least one straight track section (6a, 6b) and a curved section (6c, 6d), and said pick-up station (55) and said shoot (50) are disposed in said at least one straight track section. An apparatus as recited in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein said separation member comprises a wall (52b) extending transverse to the path of said distal ends (7a) of said arms (7) and a cut-out (54) formed in the top edge of said wall (52b) such that said cut-out allows passage of said distal end (7a) of said arm (7), but does not allow passage of said cartridge shell plate (4) attracted by said magnet (15). An apparatus as recited in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said shoot (50) has a pair of guide fences (52a,52b), and said wall having said cut-out is constituted of an upper end portion of one (52b) of said guide fences which is disposed farther from said pick-up station (55) in the moving direction of said arms (7).

Inventors: OYAMA SHOJI, TAKAHASHI KOICHI, OYAMA, SHOJI, TAKAHASHI, KOICHI, Oyama, Shoji, c/o Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., TAKAHASHI, KOICHI, C/O FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Applicants: FUJI PHOTO FILM CO LTD, FUJI PHOTO FILM CO., LTD.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B65H5
IPC codes: B65G47, B65H29